Mindful Monday: 5 Inspiring Songs & Quotes To Get You Through The Week

During the holidays, whether we celebrate or not, we are reminded of all the things we stand for as a person. Maybe that’s due to the sometimes overwhelming observations of our family members; maybe that’s due to nostalgia of times past; or maybe, grand celebrations make us consider the character of our own lives.

Monday, April 25th: “Just The Way You Are”-[lastfm link_type=”artist_info”]Bruno Mars[/lastfm]

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There is a quote from an anonymous author that goes: “You don’t love a woman because she is beautiful. She is beautiful because you love her.”

Sometimes we are too busy comparing ourselves in terms of physical perfection to realize one simple fact: Somewhere, someone thinks we are incredibly beautiful. Whether that person falls in love with your beauty because of your compassionate, sensitive personality or because you have gorgeous, expressive eyes, you have a unique beauty–both inside and out–that transcends societal expectations.

You might not be perfect, but perfect is boring. And just like Bruno Mars says, “Girl, you’re amazing, just the way you are.”

Author and eastern philosopher Khalil Gibran says that “beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart.” Many times people can expect us to live up to their ideals for us. Because these pressures can make us feel stripped of our core identity, we can feel detached, misunderstood, and lonely. But just like Gibran says, our beauty is not something that can be quantified by whether we fit a mold of what people want from us.

Our beauty is more ”like a lightning bolt/your heart will blow/and when it’s time you’ll know.” You might be fat, skinny, short, tall, have freckles, or have dark skin. You might like piercings and tattoos or preppy clothes. Whatever you are, that’s you. Take notice of your inner light and let is shine.

You might not think of your birth having any impact on the world as a whole, but truthfully, without you in the world things would be very different. By being born, you have touched thousands of people in a multitude of ways. Some great, some better, and all impactful in one way or another.

Realizing this makes it apparent how–no matter what–you can make a difference in someone’s life, not because you are perfect or following some life “rules,” but because you were “born this way.”Maya Angelou says, “One isn’t necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential.”

And with this potential, you can use your gift of just existing to positively influence the people around you.

There is a Chinese proverb that says, ”If you get up one more time than you fall you will make it through.” Sometimes, especially when life becomes full of “obstacles,” self-doubt can creep in and make us feel like “writing ourselves off.” But like Jimmy Eat World say in their song, “The Middle:” “Just try your best, do everything you can. And don’t you worry what the bitter hearts are gonna say.”

If you let it, the most bitter of the hearts can be your own. Don’t psyche yourself out if you feel let down or if you feel like something is impossible. As long as you can get up again, if you can keep going, and realize that you are on the right path as long as you are trying, you will finally receive all the things you want from the universe–in time.

Friday, April 29th:“We R Who We R”-[lastfm link_type=”artist_info”]Ke$ha[/lastfm]

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Bruce Barton says, “If you have anything really valuable to contribute to the world it will come through the expression of your own personality, that single spark of divinity that sets you off and makes you different from every other living creature.”

We will hazard to say that everyone on this planet has something really valuable to contribute to the world and therefore “every living creature” has something beautiful to give to the world. Everyone is a star in their own right, just by being who they are.

Or as Ke$ha would say: ”You know we’re superstars, we are who we are.”

What are some of your favorite songs about being true to yourself? Let us know in the comments!